Vice President Joe Biden mocked Republican calls for fiscal restraint and criticism of the current level of federal debt, pointing out the last federal surplus occured during the Clinton administration.

"Mark [Dayton] knows how to balance a budget, the way he did as [state] auditor. Mark's opponents are drinking the same KoolAid as the Republican national leadership ... This election is a choice. The choice is very stark, between telling the truth or continuing with a Ponzi scheme."

He repeated his broadest critique of the GOP: "Give me a break -- I've had it up to here."

"Look folks, we' ve seen this movie before and we know how it ends. Minnesota can't afford it. America can't afford it....If we lose, we'll see a rerun of that movie."

Wrapping up, he quietly implored them, "do for us what you did two years ago."

After leaving the rally, Biden was heading to a Minneapolis hotel to lead a fundraising luncheon for Dayton, with the price of admission ranging from $150 to $2,000.